Eraser



G. F. volGHT Novs, ms.

ERASER Filed Sept. 16, 1955 Patented Nov. 8, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 6 Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in rubber or rubber composition erasers for rubbing out ink and pencil marks and the like.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a pair of coacting plates of novel structure adapted for holding a strip of erasing material operatively movable therebetween;

A further object is the provision of a pair of coacting plates having registering ends pivotally connected together;

A still further object is the provision of a pair ofplates having mid portions adjacent their rear extremities indented inwardly and provided in said indentations with means for connecting said plates together;

A still further object is the provision of a pair of plates having opposed flat walls, the rear extremities of which being bowed rearwards in the plane of said plates, thereby eliminating all sharp corners on said plates and thereby producing a holder the rear extremity of which may be readily and comfortably engaged by the palm of the hand of the operator;

A still further object is the provision of a pair of like plates having substantially flat walls disposed in spaced parallelism, the forward extremities of'which are bowed forwardly in semicircular formation in the plane of the Walls. This rounding or forwardly bowing of said forward extremities increases the marginal area thereof and thereby increases the area of. the erasing material available for application to the work to be erased. It also permits the eraser to be applied at an angle of 2i degrees or less to the surface of the paper or work operated on;

A still further object of the present invention is the provision of outwardly struck indentations in the forward ends of the plates, thereby forming raised panels on the outer surfaces thereof;

Still another object is the provision of a pair of plates having their forward end portions indented on the inner sides whereby elevations are formed on the outer -sides thereof, said plates also having marginal flanges on their transverse edges, the forward ends of which extend forwardly a distance beyond the rear extremities of said elevations, thereby stiffening those portions of the plates at or adjacent their points of union with said rear extremities;

A still further object is the provision of a pair of spaced plates adapted for holding erasing material removably and replaceably therebetween, said plates having elevations on their outer surfaces adjacent their forward extremities, and projections on their inner surfaces adjacent to (Cl. 1Z0-36) but rearwardly of said elevations, the said plates also having a clamping band slida'ble longitudinally thereon into engagement with said elevations for limiting its forward movement, and disposable over said projections whereby said projections are pressed into the surface of said erasing material and thereby normally holding it against accidental movement longitudinal of said plates.

Still another object is to` provide a pair of coacting plates having'marginal flanges on their transverse edges, intermediate edge portions of the flanges of one of said plates being engageable with the edges of the flanges of the other of said plates for limiting movement of said plates in directions towards each other.

In the accompanying drawing- Figure 1 is a side View of the present eraser;

Figure 2 is an edge view' thereof;

Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional view on line 3-3' of Fig. 2;

Figure 4 is a sectional detail on line Ii-ll, Fig. 1, with portions of the erasing material broken away;

Figure 5 is a sectional detail on line 55', Fig. 1, with the erasing material omitted;

Figure 6 is a cross section on line ESC-6' of Fig. 1;

Figure 7 is a longitudinal sectional detail of a fragmental portion of portions of the holder;

Figure 8 is a view in elevation of a slight modification of the preferred form of the eraser; and

Figure 9 is a longitudinal sectional detail of the modified form on line 9--9 of Fig. 8.

Referring to the drawing in detail, throughout which like reference characters designate like parts:

A pair of substantially flat identical plates I0, III comprises the principal portion of the holder element, while a strip of rubber or rubber composition II confined between the plates comprises the erasing material.

The plates I0, I0 are provided adjacent their rear extremities with inwardly struck indentations I2, I2 having flat apexes I3, I3 disposed in bearing engagement and provided with central openings I4, I4 through which projects and is fixedly secured a tubular rivet I5, whereby the plates are lixedly, although preferably oscillatorily, secured together. The said indentations I2, I2, in addition to providing means for securing the plates together, function for holding the rearend portions of the plates definitely spaced. The forward extremities of the plates Ill, I0 are bowed forwards in semi-circular form and are provided with outwardly struck indentations it whereby are formed panels il, il on the outer sides of the plates, while the rear extremities of said plates are bowed rearwardly. The said forwardly bowing of the front ends of the plates is chiefly for the purpose of providing a front holder opening of maximum dimensions around and beyond the margin of which a. comparatively large surface of the erasing material projects for presentation to the paper or work to be operated on, and whereby the eraser may readily be presented to said paper or work at an angie thereto of 20 degrees or less (Fig. 8). The said rearwardly bowing of 'the rear ends of the plates Ill, Il] is mainly for the purpose of providing a rounded and comparatively smooth holder-end easily and comfortably engaged by the hand, particularly desirable when said end is disposed in engagement with the palm of the hand while the ngers engage and clasp the body portion of the holder during the application of the eraser to the work at an angle approximating that shown in Fig. S.

On the side edges of the plates l, I il are flanges i8, I8, which preferably extend around the rear extremities of the plates and which project forwardly beyond the rear extremities of the panels l'l, I'l. Said forward extension of the flanges I8, i8 beyond the rear extremities of the panels l1, Il is for the purpose of stiffening and reinforcing the plates against accidental flatwise flexing of those portions thereof immediately back of said panels, which might otherwise occur at times by pressing the forward ends of the plates too forcibly against the sides of the erasing material.

Intermediate portions of the flanges IB, i3 on registering sides of the plates Il), Ill are intended to normally be in bearing engagement, or at least in close adjacent parallelism, whereby accidental excessive pressing together of said plates is avoided and which might otherwise occur in event that the plates were constructed of comparatively thin flexible material, particularly after the major portion of the erasing material had been abraded by use and the remainder moved forwards.

Cut-outs i9, i9 and 20, 20 are preferably formed in the edges of the anges I3, I8, the former to provide openings or windows through which the erasing material I I may be viewed and the length thereof remaining in the holder estimated in View of replacing it with a new strip if necessary. Also, if desired by certain operators, a pencil point or other instrument may be projected through said openings for engaging and pushing the erasing material forwards as required. The cut-outs 2U, 2G are mainly for assuring proper movementV of the forward end portions of the plates I0, I inwardly for clamping the erasing material therebetween. Y

Interior projections 2|, 2l, struck inwardly out of the body of the plates are adapted to be pressed into the surfaces of the erasing material for holding it against longitudinal movement between the plates, by means of the clamping band 22 longitudinally slidable of the plates IU, II). Obviously, the rearward movement of the band 22 releases the pressure of the projections 2i, 2l against the erasing material thereby permitting it to be moved in either direction longitudinal of the plates I6, ill, as may be required for adjusting it longitudinally fro-m time-to-time to compensate for the gradual wearing away of its forward portion by use.

In the modified form of the invention shown in Figs. 8 and 9, outwardly struck circular depressions 23 in the inner surfaces of the forward ends of the plates I0, Ill, whereby protuberances 24 are formed on the outer surfaces thereof, are substituted for the indentations I6, I6 and panels I1, I'l of the preferred form. Also in the modified form conical projections 25 are substituted for the projections 2l, 2l of the preferred form.

The erasing material II may be adjusted in either direction longitudinally of the plates I0, Ill after rst sliding the clamping band 22 a proper distance rearwards, or, if so desired, by removing the band entirely from the plates, when the forward end portions thereof may be spread apart slightly and the erasing material II moved forwards to compensate for the wearing down occasioned by its employment, or, if required, removed from between the plates for replacement with a new strip of said material. Also, if s0 desired, the forward end portions of the plates may, after the removal of the band 22 therefrom, be swung or oscillated oppositely any required clistance about the axis of the rivet I for adjustment or renewal, as the case may be, of the erasing material.

The pressing of the forward end portions of the plates ID, lil against opposite sides of the comparatively soft pliable erasing material I I by sliding the clamping band 22 forwards into its binding position at the rear of the elevations I1, I1, whereby said erasing material engaged by said plates is slightly compressed causing opposed surface portions thereof in registration with the indentations Iii, IE to be forced a short way thereinto (Fig. 4) and thereby to function in coopera.- tion with said end portions of the plates towards holding the erasing material between said plates and against any slidable movement longitudinally of the plates. Obviously, the depressions 23, 23 of the modied form of the eraser could be substituted for the indentations I1, I1 and the same holding of the erasing material effected in like manner.

It is to be understood that changes inthe preoise embodiment of the eraser above described and illustrated in the drawing can be made within the scope of the following claims, without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

I claim:

l. In an eraser holder, a pair of flat plates connected together at their rear ends and adapted to be clamped upon the sides of a :dat rubber, each of said plates having a raised panel on its outer side of its front end portion, flanges on opposite side margins of said plates, said flanges having cut-outs in their free edges.

2. In an eraser holder, a pair of elongated flat plates disposed in spaced parallelism for engagement with a flat sided rubber to be held therebetween, means for connecting the rear ends of the plates together, raised panels on the outer surface of the front end portions of said plates, said panels having substantially flat outer surfaces disposed in parallelism with the outer sur- Iace of the body of the plates, projections on the inner surface of said plates rearwards of said panels, and a band encircling said plates and slidable longitudinally thereof, said panels functionable for limiting forward movement of said band upon the latters forward movement across said projections.

3. In an eraser holder, a pair of elongated plates disposed in spaced parallelism for engagement with a flat sided rubber to be held therebetween and provided with depressed portions in the outer surface of the rear end portions thereof, said depressions being disposed in axial registration, indentations in the inner surfaces of the front end portions of said plates whereby are formed elevations on the outer surfaces thereof, said elevations being spaced rearwards from the front extremities of the plates, and means for connecting the plates together in said depressions.

4. In an eraser holder, a pair of elongated plates formed of thin iiat metal and disposed in spaced parallelism for engagement with a flat sided rubber to be held therebetween, the rear ends of said plates being bowed rearwardly and provided with inwardly struck rearwardly bowed flanges, the front ends of said plates being bowed forwardly and provided on their inner sides with indentations whereby elevations are formed on their outer sides, and means for securing said rear end portions together.

5. In an eraser holder, a pair of flat plates connected together at their rear end portions and adapted to be clamped upon the sides of a flat rubber, each of said plates having a raised panel on the outer side of its front end portion, flanges on opposite side margins of said plates, the forward extremities of said flanges extending forwardly beyond the rearward extremities of said panels.

6. In an eraser holder, a pair of flat plates disposed in spaced parallelism for engagement with a flat rubber to be held therebetween, the ends of said plates being curved outwardly, depressed portions in the rear end portions of said plates, means for pivotally connecting said depressed portions together, indentations in the inner surface of the front end portions of said plates, whereby are formed raised panels on the outer surface of said front end portions, said indentations being spaced rearwards from the front extremities of said plates, thereby forming forwardly curved flat border strips disposed in the plane of the body portions of said plates, and means for pressing said strips upon said rubber.

GEORGE F. VOIGHT.

Cil 

